Admin orders probe into Sikanderpur marble shops

In yet another blow to the marble dealers of Sikanderpur, Gurgaon deputy commissioner PC Meena issued a probe order to the pollution board on Monday. This is the first time that a high-level probe has been ordered in the matter.

In yet another blow to the marble dealers of Sikanderpur, Gurgaon deputy commissioner PC Meena issued a probe order to the pollution board on Monday. This is the first time that a high-level probe has been ordered in the matter.

A senior official in the state pollution control board, Gurgaon, confirmed the probe order in allocation of land (Khasra no 420 in village Sikanderpur Ghosi) in violation of Environmental Protection Rules, 1986.

The official added that the land was earmarked as ‘Gair Mumkin Pahar’ (a part of Aravali) and leased out in 1994 for five years. The lease was extended for another five years in 1999. The land earlier belonged to the Sikanderpur panchayat and came under the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) in 2008.

“Construction of any dwelling unit, farmhouse, shed,

community centre, information centre and any other activity connected with such construction is prohibited under the Aravali Notification of 1992. I cannot comment on how the land in question was leased out and why no action was ever initiated in all these years,” said the official, on condition of anonymity.

On January 9, the pollution department had served a seven-day showcause notice to the marble dealers for carrying out illegal construction activities.

Probe court stay claim too: MeenaGurgaon deputy commissioner PC Meena has written to the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) and MCG to probe the court stay claim of the marble dealers. HT has a copy of the letter.

“The marble dealers have been defying ultimatums of the HUDA and MCG served over time, on grounds of having a stay order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. I would like to emphasise that if it is so, sincere efforts should be made to get the stay vacated and valued land be retrieved from the clutches of the marble dealers at the earliest,” the letter refers.

It further reads: “It has come to my notice that the lease agreement of the marble dealers has expired in 2005 and alternative plots were allotted in Sector 33/34 in 2004-05 by Huda. But many of the traders have not shifted to the new plots so far. Surprisingly, some who have shifted have not vacated the Sikanderpur land and are doing business at both places.”

“I have asked officials to probe the issue from all angles and get prime land vacated,” said Meena.